The Fairfield Eagles won three of their four tournament games in the Fairfield Invitational Basketball Tournament to finish in the consolation round of the games at the Johnson Activity Center.
Fairfield split the intex pools games with a win over Rice and a loss to the Azle Hornets. Fairfield had to come from behind double digits to win the tournament opener. Trailing 41-33 heading into the fourth period, Kobe Freemand scored 11 points and the Eagles hit all 11 free throws to claim the 56-47 win. Freeman scored a game high 28 in the winning effort. The second pool game was against Azle and Freeman had 21 in the losing effort. Gary McAlister paced the Hornets with 29 points and Azle led for the majority of the 50-38 win.
The Eagles moved on to play Bryan Rudder in the silver bracket division and claimed a 69-62 win. Carl Daniels began the game with three consecutive scores in the first period for a quick 7-0 lead. Hodge and King kept the Rangers close and the Eagles finished the period with a Freeman three pointer and a DaQuann McWilliams score and led by six at the end of the first.
The teams remained close through the end of the third and Rudder got to within two heading into the fourth period. McWilliams hit a three and Freeman hit a shot and was fouled to complete the three point play. Fairfield hit 11 of 15 free throws in the final period to preserve the 69-62 win.
On the final day of the tournament, Fairfield advanced to play the Corsicana Tigers. Freeman scored eight in the first period, but could not pull away from the Tigers and Fairfield led 12-9. The gave up four three pointers in the second, while making only one and fell behind by a point at the half 25-24.
Freeman went back to work and added six more in the third and took the lead for good. Aiden Brackens scored one of the three consecutive along with Kamren Griffin and Freeman lead 36-30 into the fourth period. Fairfield hit five on nine shots in the final eight minutes to hold off the Tigers for the 50-39 win.
